Apparatus for testing interior furnace conditions



Oct. 28; 1941. G. E. STEUDEL 2,260,794

APPARATUS FOR TESTING INTERIOR FURNACE CONDITIONS Filed July 22, 1939 2 Shets-Sheet 1 [men afar:

Oct. 28, 1941. G. E. STEUDEL APPARATUS FOR TESTING INTERIOR FURNACE CONDITIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1939 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR TE STING INTERIOR 6 Claims.

This invention is concerned with determining the conditions existing inside of a metallurgical blast furnace, both chemical and physical. The determination of such conditions is of importance in judging the operation of the furnace and the effects furnace design and Working have on its operation. At the present time there is no means for obtaining such data that is sufiiclently convenient and practical to satisfy the furnace operators.

A specific example of the present invention is illustrated'by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section of the upper portion of a blast furnace with the example in use;

Figure 2 is an enlargement from Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section from the line III-III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section from the line V-V in Figure 4;

Figure .6 is another modification of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a section from the line VII-VII in Figure 6; and,

Figure 8 shows the working of the modification shown by Figure 6.

More specifically, these drawings illustrate the upper portion of a blast furnace, showing the brick lining I, the furnace shell 2, the furnace dome 3, the large bell hopper 4, the large bell 5 and the gas seal platform 6, the latter being the working platform on the outside at the top of the furnace provided for the workmen. The stock line of the furnace is indicated by the broken line I.

A plurality of tubes 8 extend downwardly through the dome 3 and are provided with gate valves 9, these tubes being permanently built into the furnace dome with their bottom ends extending short distances inside the furnace and their top ends terminating beneath platform 6, the latter having a trap door I0. These tubes are fixed in the dome 3 in a gas-tight manner, preferably by welding their peripheries to the steel dome shell, their upper portions being rigidly supported by a plate II built between the platform 6 and the furnace shell.

A plurality of test pipes I2 are provided for passage through the tubes 8, the latter being arranged at such angles that when the test pipes I2 are passed through the tubes 8 predetermined extents, their bottom ends arebrought to predetermined spaced positions inside the furnace. The tops of the pipes are provided with suitable depth marks I3 for the purpose of enabling their proper positioning in the tubes.

It is suggested that the angularity of the tubes 8 and the depths to which the pipes I2 are passed through these tubes, be correlated so that the bottom ends of the pipes extend to a horizontal level that is approximatelyone foot below the normal furnace stock level or about eight feet below the big bell 5, the bottom ends to be spaced with the innermost one starting at the axis of the furnace and the outermost one coming to within six inches from the stock line. However, the arrangement will depend upon the fancy of the furnace operator.

Various kinds of test tubes may be used depending on the data desired. In Figures 1 and 3, one of the pipes I2 is shown, its lower end being pointed as at I4 to facilitate its being thrust through the furnace stock, while its side is provided with openings I5 through which the furnace gases may pass. This figure also shows the use of a wooden plug I6 surrounding the pipe and thrust tightly into a conventional pipe reducer I! that is fixed to thetop end of the tube 8. Other arrangements may be used for making gas-tight the space existing outside of the pipe and the inside of the tube. The top end of the pipe I2 is connected with a rubber hose I8, the particular test pipe under discussion being for the purpose of obtaining samples of the gases passing through the furnace. In case it is desired to determine the temperatures existing at the various points may be provided with thermocouples of conventional design placed in their ends where the gases pass through the opening I5 and impinge directly on the same.

Another type of test pipe is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, this consisting of two pipes I2 and I2 welded to ether a circularly pointed end HI for thrusting a passage through the stock. Such a test pipe is suitable for determining gas having a downwardly extending end in which the gases enter and the pipe I2 being provided with small radial openings for obtaining the static pressure at the same point.

Still another type of test pipe is illustrated by Figures 6, 7 and '8, this having its bottom end provided with a retractable shoe I9 in the form of a pivoted element adapted to swingtransversely as the end of the pipe leaves the bottom end of the tube 8. The inside of the pipe in this instance carries a reciprocative pipe 20 connecting with the shoe I9, and provided at its upper of the furnace, the test pipes with an extension providing I velocities, the pipe I2 escape of the furnace gases.

end with a handle 2| riding in a slot 22 formed in the top end of the pipe l2. When this handle is raised and turned so as to rest on the top of the pipe l2, it; swings the retractable shoe l9 to a transverse position. This test pipe enables the tester to determine the contour of the stock.

To use the apparatus herein disclosed, the trap door i is raised and the gate valves 9 opened one by one, the test pipes 52 being successfully thrust through the tubes 8 as the valves 9 are opened. Each test pipe is brought to the proper position by resorting to the use of the depth marks E3, the

wooden plugs is then serving to prevent further The manipulation of the pipes i2 will, of course, depend upon the tube extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a test pipe for passage through said tube and means for closing said tube when said pipe is not in use, said pipe having its bottom end protype used, this, in turn, depending upon the data that is being collected. It is to be noted that the data collected is representative of what is occurring at predetermined spaced positions inside of the furnace, whereby very informative charts may be produced from the results of the tests. When no test is in progress, the trap door ill is closed and the platform 6 is available for unimpeded use.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including at least one tube extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a test pipe for passage through said tube and means for closing said tube when said pipe is withdrawn completely from said tube, said tube being positioned in such an angular manner as to bring the bottom--end of said pipe to a predetermined position inside said furnace when said pipe is passed through said tube a predetermined extent said pipe having open ends with the bottom end providing access to the furnace interior and the upper end providing access to said lower end.

2. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including at least one tube extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a test pipe for passage through said tube and means for closing said tube when said pipe is withdrawn completely from said tube, said pipe having a pointed bottom end for penetrating the furnace stock and said bottom end having an opening in its side for the entrance of the furnace gases, the top end of said pipe being open to provide access to the gases entering said opening.

3. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including at least one vided with a retractable shoe and being equipped with means operable from its top end for controlling said shoe. 1

4. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including a plurality of tubes extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a plurality of test pipes for passage through said tubes and means for closing said tubes when said pipes are withdrawn completely from said tubes, said tubes being permanently fixed in said dome and extending in such angular manner as to bring the bottom ends of said pipes to predetermined spaced position inside said furnace when said pipes are passed through said tubes predetermined extents.

5. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including-a plurality of tubes extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a plurality of test pipes for passage through said tubes and means for closing said tubes when said pipes are withdrawn completely from said tubes, said tubes being permanently fixed in said dome and extending in such angular manner as to bring the bottom ends of said pipes to predetermined spaced positions inside said furnace when said pipes are passed through said tubes predetermined extents, said pipes having open ends with the bottom ends providing access to the furnace interior and the upper ends providing access to said lower ends.

6. Apparatus for determining conditions existing inside a blast furnace, including a plurality of tubes extending downwardly through the furnace dome, a plurality of test pipes for passage through said tubes and means for closing said tubes when said pipes are not in use, said tubes being permanently fixed in said dome and extending in such angular manner as to bring the bottom ends of said pipes to predetermined spaced positions inside said furnace when said pipes are passed through said tubes predetermined extents, said pipes having .their bottom ends equipped with retractable shoes and their top ends provided with means connecting with said shoes for retracting the same.

GEORGE E. S'I'EUDEL. 

